Determination: Age Of Expansion – A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Precious Galaxy Book 3)

by Sarah Noffke

  “I don’t like to have to wait for things,” she agreed.

  The waiter set the iced coffee in front of her and pulled out a tablet. “What else can I get for you, Mr. Pruitt?”

  He swept a hand toward Bailey and Lewis. “What would you two like?”

  “What do you have?” Lewis asked.

  Dave looked at the waiter, waiting for his answer.

  “We have anything you could want.”

  Bailey shot Lewis a look. “DJ would like this place.”

  Dave laughed, seeming to get that it was an inside reference. “I like my employees to have whatever they like. I find that it keeps up morale and gives them one less thing to worry about.”

  “Wait, you provide their meals for them every day?” Lewis asked, peering around at the various tables.

  “Oh, yes. Three meals a day, snacks, and as much coffee as they need,” Dave said with a whistle.

  “That’s really generous,” Bailey said.

  “Well, there’s a reason Precious Galaxy Coffee is the biggest,” Dave stated. He looked at the waiter. “I’ll have my usual.”

  The waiter then turned his attention to Bailey.

  “You know what, I’ve been really craving a spicy Thai curry. Do you have that?” she asked.

  “Red, yellow or green?” the waiter asked, not skipping a beat.

  “Oh, red. With chicken,” Bailey said, and then quickly added, “and bamboo shoots.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” the waiter said, looking at Lewis next.

  Anything.

  He could literally have anything he wanted and wouldn’t have to feel bad about having Dejoure make it. He never wanted to put her out too much, although he knew she enjoyed it.

  “I’ll have the filet mignon with mashed potatoes and a side salad,” Lewis said, his mouth already salivating.

  “How would you like your steak?” the waiter asked, tapping on the tablet.

  “Still mooing,” he answered.

  Dave slapped the table with a loud chuckle. “I knew I liked you!”

  The waiter bowed slightly before dismissing himself.

  Bailey lifted the drink to her lips, a tentative expression on her face. She took a sip, and her eyes lit up. “Hey, this is…amazing. I never would have thought…”

  Dave smiled, leaning back in his seat. He’d ordered a cup of black dark roast for himself, the house formula. “I told you. I can peg anyone’s perfect cup. It’s a gift.”

  “Sir,” Lewis said, blowing on his coffee, wishing he could drink it. “Phillip mentioned a merger. Can you fill us in on that?”

  “Well, remember I said that I had something big in the works?” Dave asked, his tone growing with excitement. “I love what I do, but to keep doing it at this pace is tough. I decided to merge Precious with another company, one that has promised to help with expansion into my home galaxy. You see, that’s the logical next step, but I really don’t have the inclination to do it.” He looked around fondly. “No, I’d like to stay here. Precious galaxy is my real home, but it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t share my wonderful coffee with those everywhere.”

  “This company that you’re merging with?” Lewis asked, a knot rising in his throat.

  “Darnedest thing. They approached me out of nowhere about a fortnight ago. Can you believe it? I’d been needing to expand, but didn’t know how. I love the way life provides.”

  “Yes, incredible timing,” Bailey said, but her face didn’t match her words.

  Lewis agreed with a nod. “This company… Is it by chance Starboards Corp?”

  Dave pulled his cowboy hat off his head and scratched his mashed down patch of brown hair. “Well, son, you are quite the detective. How’d you figure that out?”

  Lewis let out a heavy sigh. “I had a hunch. Starboards Corp is owned by the same man who owns Monstre Corp.”

  “The one who sent a monster to abduct your entire crew?” Dave asked.

  “Yes, sir,” Lewis confirmed. “And I have a suspicion that there’s a reason you haven’t run into the monster, like many others in Precious galaxy.”

  “Yeah, it sounds like they want to use you as a pawn,” Bailey said, nodding.

  The waiter arrived with a tray carrying their food. The smell of the steak and garlic mashed potatoes was even better than the aroma of the coffee. Lewis’s eyes locked onto the steak and, for a moment, he thought he was in love.

  There’s nothing better than a thick-cut fillet, grilled to perfection.

  Bailey looked as happy about the bowl of curry placed in front of her.

  Lastly, the waiter set a large plate of chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and green beans in front of Dave. He picked up one of the green beans with his fingers and took a bite.

  “So it sounds like I need to rethink this merger,” he mused, chewing.

  “Yes, there’s something fishy about this,” Bailey reiterated. “Vance uses corporations, hiding behind them while they do his bidding. Meanwhile, Monstre is creating real evil, but no one gets any inkling about it.”

  Dave popped the rest of the green bean into his mouth. “Well, I have to say it’s working, because I haven’t heard hide nor hair of this ‘Monstre Corp’.”

  “I believe that’s by design,” Lewis stated, cutting into his steak. Mmmm…cooked to perfection.

  “Okay, well, then it’s settled,” Dave stated, scooping up a forkful of mashed potatoes. “Phillip?”

  The AI appeared beside the table, holding the lapels of his jacket. “Yes, sir?”

  “Please cancel the merger with Starboards Corp,” Dave ordered.

  “You don’t want to expand PGC?” Phillip asked.

  “Remember I said I had a strange feeling about the company?” Dave asked.

  Phillip agreed with a nod. “And I said that I couldn’t find much about their history.”

  “That’s apparently because it’s a shifty organization,” Dave stated.

  “They take orphans and experiment on them,” Bailey said, stirring her bright red curry. “DJ, who is now with us, was one of them. Now we have to manufacture a drug to keep her alive.”

  Dave’s eyes widened. “Well, I’ll be. It’s a good thing you two paid me a visit when you did. The meeting to finalize the arrangement with Starboards’ CEO was scheduled for tomorrow morning.”

  “Oh, Dr. Lukas is an evil man,” Bailey said bitterly.

  Dave looked surprised. “Dr. Lukas? Well, that’s not who I’m supposed to meet with through video conference.”

  “Is it Solomon Vance?” she asked.

  Lewis’s fork clattered to his plate as the realization hit him. It all added up, but only for a person with a mind like his, who knew what he did.

  Dave peered at him cautiously. “Is everything alright, son?”

  “The CEO…” Lewis said. “Is it Melanie Myers?”

  “Why, son, I don’t know how you keep doing that,” Dave said, shaking his head. “It’s like you’re in my head. That is the name of the CEO of Starboards Corp.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Precious Galaxy Coffee Headquarters, Near Planet Tarana, Hapeti System

  Of course. It all made so much sense to Lewis now.

  Melanie had been obsessed with power since the beginning—he’d cautioned her on it when he was training her. So it made sense that, when given a giant sum of money, she’d buy a powerful corporation. And she’d been asking about Monstre Corp on Gable Station because it was part of her job; Vance would have asked her to ensure that his company had a low profile. But she was in the Precious galaxy, so maybe she was coming after Vance?

  Maybe there’s more to this yet to unravel. Yes, there’s definitely more, and I need to figure it out.

  Dave walked the three visitors back to their ship, rubbing his belly, which was full from the large meal. “You all are welcome here anytime. I know we’re not easy to find, but for those bright enough to locate us, they earn themselves a steak dinner and a cup of coffee.”

 
“Thank you, sir,” Bailey said.

  “The meeting tomorrow…” Lewis began, his voice tense.

  Dave nodded. “Yes, I’ll see if Phillip can trace Melanie’s location. No promises, my boy.”

  Lewis extended a hand to the man. “We look forward to working with you.”

  “The pleasure is all mine,” Dave said loudly. “In a place as big as this galaxy, you need as many friends as possible. So remember, if you ever need an ally, I’m only a call away. Here at Precious, we make great coffee, but we have a lot more to offer.”

  For the first time in years, Lewis felt close to redemption. He could taste it on his tongue, feel it in his hands. He could see Melanie paying for her treachery. It was ironic that she was a part of the evil he was already after. Of course Melanie bought an evil corporation.

  Who knew what she’d been planning to do with Precious Galaxy Coffee Company, but her efforts had been thwarted. Dave was going to cancel the merger and put a tracer on her. Everything was finally going in the right direction.

  Dave offered a hand to Vitos. “It’s been too long, old friend. Don’t stay away this long again. Your paintings are much appreciated in the library; that’s where we hang them.”

  “They are in the library?” Vitos asked. He’d been buzzing with adrenaline since joining them in the café.

  “Of course! Hell, the one you just painted is already getting framed and placed.”

  “Thank you, Dave!” Vitos cheered.

  Dave took off his hat and waved, smiling broadly at them as they boarded the Q-Ship.

  Jack Renfro’s Office, Ricky Bobby, Hapeti System

  Jack tapped his pen on his desk. He’d remained quiet for a full minute after Bailey and Lewis debriefed.

  All Bailey had been able to think about since leaving PGC headquarters was returning. It wasn’t only the exquisitely cooked Thai curry that she longed for; it was the mystery and creativity in the place.

  And Dave. That man. She didn’t know why, but she inherently trusted him. When they’d warned him about Starboards, he’d automatically canceled the merger. He was a man who respected others and saw a person’s real character, even complete strangers.

  But then how was he nearly fooled by Melanie? She must be incredibly cunning and devious, Bailey concluded.

  “Vance isn’t giving us any opening this time,” Jack finally stated.

  Lewis nodded. “Yes, this new security system is troublesome.”

  Jack waved off that concern. “That’s not a big deal. I’ll have Hatch engineer a way through without being noticed.”

  “Yeah, detective,” Bailey said with a laugh. “We’ll just have the smartest mechanic in two galaxies fix us a solution. Obviously.”

  “Of course, what was I thinking?” Lewis joked.

  “Hatch is busy at the moment, but I’ll make this a priority when he’s done with his current project.” Jack drummed the silver ballpoint on the desk again, still off in thought. “The bigger concern for me is how we get into the facility.”

  “What we need is a distraction,” Lewis offered.

  Jack pressed out his lips, thinking. “Distractions are good, but I’d prefer an approach that changes Monstre’s strategy.”

  “I’m not sure I’m following,” Bailey admitted.

  Jack nodded with understanding, scooting in closer to his desk. “Right now, Vance knows we’re out here trying to get into the database, and he’s on the defensive. What I want is to get him to drop his guard. Before we entered Precious galaxy, he had this place to himself, he thought he was running things. That’s how you two were able to sneak into Sutras Six and Nine.”

  “How do we convince him that we’re not a threat anymore?” Lewis asked.

  “Well, before,” Jack began, his eyes scanning his desk without seeing, as he thought aloud, “Vance’s guard dropped because he thought the monster had uploaded all of Ghost Squadron.”

  “So we fake our own death?” Lewis asked.

  Jack lifted his chin, a smile blossoming on his face. “Exactly the strategy I’m considering. And if it works, we could kill two birds with one stone: make Monstre believe that we’re no longer a threat, and take down their evil cousin.”

  “Starboards Corp,” Bailey nodded.

  “Yes,” Jack affirmed. “Which we now know is newly owned by Melanie Myers.”

  “So, really, we’d kill three birds with one stone,” Lewis said, a triumphant smile on his face. He rubbed his hands together eagerly. “What’s the plan?”

  Jack rolled the pen around in his fingers, still deep in thought. “I need some time to work out the details, but it shouldn’t take long. However, for this to work, we’re going to need DJ.”

  “I’m sure she’d be happy to help,” Bailey stated.

  “Yes, I’m sure—”

  “Pardon the interruption,” Ricky Bobby said, cutting Jack off. “However, Hatch requires your attention immediately.”

  Jack looked up suddenly. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yes, everything is fine, but I’ve been told not to give any further details,” Ricky Bobby said.

  Lewis gave Bailey a curious expression. “I love surprises.”

  “Good, I’ll remember that,” she quipped.

  “Of course you will,” he said, playfully rolling his eyes.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Hatch’s Lab, Ricky Bobby, Hapeti System

  A giant, black, coffin-looking box sat in the open area of Hatch’s office.

  Bailey, Jack and Lewis were the last to arrive. Apparently, Hatch had called an all-crew meeting, and unfortunately, the entire crew could fit in the space. Lewis hoped that would soon change.

  The people who had been reprinted were on the lower decks or being transported to their home planets on shuttles. Jack had made the decision early on to keep those they printed separate from the crew, so as to not confuse them after their big ordeal. However, Lewis thought it also had something to do with the fact that they weren’t the ‘real’ crew. He wasn’t going to allow anyone to take those people’s place, because there was no replacing them. That’s why there wasn’t a new captain or commander. There was only one for Ghost Squadron.

  “There you all are,” Hatch said when they entered. “We’ve been waiting for you.” He motioned with a tentacle to Liesel, Dejoure, Penrae and Vitos, who all stood dutifully on the other side of the box. Harley and Sebastian were curled up together by Liesel’s feet, not appearing at all interested in the meeting.

  “Sorry to keep you all waiting,” Jack said. “Ricky Bobby said he couldn’t disclose what the meeting was about.”

  Hatch nodded, waddling over to the black box and staring down at it. Now that Lewis was closer, he saw that it had a clear lid, and blue light glowed from inside it.

  “I would have expected that you’d figure it out on your own, Chief Strategist,” Hatch said.

  “Well, I haven’t been wanting to get my hopes up, since this is new territory,” Jack stated matter-of-factly.

  “Come on, now,” Hatch said. “When have I ever failed in the end? Don’t get me wrong, this project challenged me quite a bit, and there were a few failed attempts, however, I think it will work now.”

  Lewis peered down into the black box. As he had suspected, a man’s body was lying in it.

  “Pip,” he said, an unexpected giddiness in his chest.

  “Yes!” Hatch exclaimed, also sounding overly excited. “And now is the moment of truth. It didn’t seem right to do the final step without everyone here to witness, so I don’t know that it will work initially.”

  “I appreciate you including us, Hatch,” Jack said, also peering down into the box.

  “Well, it’s kind of like a baby being born,” Hatch stated, reaching over to a workstation on the far side of the room and retrieving a sleek black box. “Everyone is only born once. You miss it, and that’s it. No going back.”

  “So Pip is no longer confined to your lab?” Bailey asked.

  �
��That’s right,” the Londil answered. “Or the Q-Ships. He actually has more access now through the network. However, I haven’t set up the patches to connect him to all places yet so for now he’s here, like all the rest of us.” Hatch motioned around to where they stood.

  Lewis had never seen Hatch like this. He looked ready to jump up and down. It was like it was his child being born—which, in a way, it kind of was. Pip was a part of the mechanic. They were connected.

  “But in his body,” Liesel began, “he’ll also have unique functionality.”

  Hatch nodded, throwing one tentacle in the air, like he was just reminded of this. “That’s right. Pip, in essence, is a walking computer now, unlike the bodies we’ve printed, which are real flesh and bone. Pip can plug directly into systems, and he has a huge amount of storage.”

  “Which means he could be of assistance when we try and recover the databases,” Jack guessed.

  “Exactly!” he said triumphantly. “Pip may be limited to his body, but he’s gained a huge advantage.” He flipped a few switches on the side of the smaller black box he held in his grasp. He looked up, hesitation on his face. His mouth opened, but then he closed it again.

  “Will he no longer be interfaced with the commander when she’s recovered?” Jack asked.

  Hatch’s eyes slid to the side, a bit of disappointment spilling from them. “I’m afraid he won’t. Like I said, he can always be patched, but going back and forth doesn’t really make sense in his physical form.” Hatch’s focus went back to the black box in his tentacles, and again, the look of hesitation wisped across his face.

  Jack eyed his watch. “Are we almost ready to do this?”

  Hatch nodded, but lowered the box. “There’s something I want to say first. I’ve had a lot of experience with EIs and AIs. As you might have guessed, Pip is special; never before have I met an AI who wanted to be human. I suspected before that his growth was stunted because he wasn’t in the right form. If my suspicions are correct, then Pip is about to have a major evolution.”

  “Does that mean he won’t joke and be good-natured?” Bailey asked, a bit of disappointment in her tone.